


A New Love Interest

by VulgarMaiden



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Canon Rewrite, M/M, Mild Language, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23911750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulgarMaiden/pseuds/VulgarMaiden
Summary: After a mutual falling out of love with Ran, Conan decides to keep an eye out for a new love interest, and is shocked to discover who his heart wants.And even more shocked to learn the lengths he’ll go to to protect him.(Basically I wanted to write a fic were Conan is the one who falls in love first. Also, that last bit sounds angsty, but I swear it’s not, if anything I’d classify it as fluff).This fic contains rewrites of scenes from the show, including several episodes, Ova 10, and Movie 14.
Relationships: Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid
Comments: 11
Kudos: 370





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Kid doesn’t come in until chapter 4. Chapters 1-3 are about Conan having important realization about love.
> 
> Also, chapter 1 starts with Sonoko, but just, trust me.

"Excuse me!" Sonoko smiled brightly as she approached the strangers in the park.

"Sonoko!" Ran whispered, trying to keep her friend from interrupting the couple's date. Conan trailed behind them.

"I couldn't help but notice how cute you guys are together! Would you mind giving my friend and I some relationship advice?" Sonoko asked the man and woman, both of whom appeared to be in their late twenties.

The couple blinked in surprise.

"Cute? You think so?" The boyfriend rubbed the back of his neck, a shy smile forming on his lips.

"That's so sweet!" The girlfriend exclaimed, squeezing her boyfriend's arm. "Of course we can give you advice!"

"I'd have to say… the number one, most important thing in a relationship is trust," the boyfriend said," but it needs to be even deeper than just trusting that your partner won't cheat on you." His girlfriend nodded with enthusiasm.

"Akio and I have told each other _everything_. We both know the other would _never_ spill our secrets, use them against us, or leave because of them. That kind of trust is hard to find even among best friends," the girlfriend said, gazing up at her lover with a gentle smile and warm eyes. He smiled back at her.

"Exactly. In my opinion, a romantic relationship is supposed to be the ultimate safe place. You should never feel like you have to hide anything or change yourself. You should be able to feel vulnerable and safe at all times."

"That's so true!" Sonoko sighed dreamily. "I want to have that kind of relationship with Makoto-san!"

"Is that your boyfriend?" The girlfriend asked. Sonoko nodded.

"He travels a lot, so it's a long-distance relationship."

"I see." The woman smiled. Then she turned to Ran. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Ah, no, I-."

"She has a _husband_ ~," Sonoko interrupted with her usual teasing.

"No, I don't!!" Ran said, her whole face turning pink. She grabbed her friend's arm and began pulling her away from the couple, Conan following. "Thanks for the advice! We'll stop bothering you now!"

"Thanks for the advice!" Sonoko echoed, waving at the couple. Then she fell into step with her friend and laughed. "You're way too easy to tease!"

"It's not funny," Ran mumbled, blushing even deeper.

"Fine, fine~! So, what did you think of their advice?"

Ran fixed her gaze on the sidewalk, eyebrows knit together and the corners of her lips turned down. Conan watched her expression carefully, a feeling of dread creeping into his stomach.

He could tell she was troubled, and… to be honest… he felt the same way. Trust, comfort, no secrets. That didn't exactly describe their relationship. Not in the slightest.

 _It's not like I have a choice_. He thought bitterly. _I have to keep my situation a secret from everyone!_

"I… I think they're right." Ran said. "Trust and comfort _should_ be the basis of a life-long relationship, but… Shin'ichi and I… we don't talk about things like secrets or emotions. Honestly… there are a lot of things I'd be very uncomfortable telling him…."

Conan turned his head down and stared at his feet as they walked towards the detective agency. His chest was tight, and his heart felt like it was being strangled.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Sonoko asked.

Ran stopped walking. Conan looked back up at her. She stood completely still, eyes fixed on nothing in particular. The expression of someone who'd just had a realization.

"What? What is it?" Sonoko pried, concern weighing down her voice.

"It just… seems so obvious…" Ran murmured. "I… I trust Shin'ichi, and I do feel comfortable with him, as a friend, but… when I compare it to the way that couple was… it's not even close."

"You… you mean… you _don't_ think you and Kudou-kun are…" Sonoko swallowed hard, "right for each other?"

Ran deflated, shoulders slumping and head falling forward. Her eyes met Conan's. Seeing him seemed to bring her back to herself.

"Sorry for talking about this stuff in front of you," she said, forcing a small smile.

"It's… okay." He looked up at her with a concerned expression.

"Let's go," she said. Then to Sonoko, "We can keep talking in my room."

-  
Conan sat in the dim hallway, leaning back against Ran's bedroom door.

"I'm scared to even tell him how I feel! Not to mention my secrets! The more I think about it the more I realize how self conscious I am around him!" Ran sighed heavily. "He's a great friend, he really is. I love spending time with him, but… every time the subject of emotions comes up… he and I both immediately become so cagey… There's no way I could live my whole life in a relationship where I don't feel safe talking about my feelings."

"We'll find you a better guy. Someone who's absolutely perfect for you!" Sonoko said decidedly. "Oh! How about we research love and relationships so we know just the type of guy you need!"

Conan hugged his knees to his chest. His heart thumped against his ribcage with a dull ache, more like it had been bruised than broken. That was the worst part. He was miserable, but resigned. Everything Ran had said made perfect sense, in fact, he agreed.

While it was true that he had no choice other than to keep his situation a secret (from everyone), he had no intention of telling her the truth even after he went back to being Shin'ichi.

Before taking the time to think critically about relationships, he simply thought it would be pointless. When he became Shin'ichi again it would all be in the past so why bring it up at all? But as he thought about it, he realized that was a foolish idea. His time as Conan had already had such a profound impact on him. Could he really be in a relationship where he had to pretend such a big part of his life had never happened? No. Absolutely not.

Even before he became Conan there were things he wouldn't tell her, for no reason other than fear. Looking back, he realized he'd been slowly falling out of love ever since he moved in with her. At least, romantically. He'd seen sides of her he'd never known about, and developed a far more nuanced understanding of her. Both Ran and her father were like family to him.

"I need to tell Shin'ichi," Ran said suddenly. "If I'm going to be looking for someone else, he should know to start looking for someone else too."

"You're gonna call him? Right now?" Sonoko asked. "Are you ready for that? Do you even know what you're gonna say?"

"I'll figure it out."

Conan got up and bolted down to the dark, empty office just before his phone rang. He took a couple deep breaths, then answered.

"Hello?" He spoke through his bowtie.

"Shin'ichi?"

"Ran? What's up?" He asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"Shin'ichi, I… well… Sonoko and I have been reading about love online and, well… there's a lot of really good information about healthy relationships and trust, and… I don't know how to say this but… I… I don't… I don't think we're meant to be together!" _Click._

Conan blinked. _Did she just…_

"Why did you hang up?!!!" Sonoko shrieked from upstairs.

"I don't know!!" Ran panicked.

Conan sighed. If he didn't respond she'd think he was mad at her. _Should I call her back? Should I text her? What should I say??_ He paced back and forth across the floor and eventually decided to go with:

'Can you send me the links to those articles?'

'Sure,' she replied, followed by a couple websites.

The rest of that evening, he read everything he could find about compatibility, what makes a relationship healthy, love languages, and more.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day love was all he could think about.

 _I need a relationship with someone who knows my secret, or someone I trust enough to tell my secret._ He thought as he ate breakfast. _I can't see myself telling anyone new any time soon, and of the people that know already, only Haibara and Hattori are the right age, but…_

He grimaced. Neither of them were appealing. They were amazing friends, the best he could possibly ask for, but the thought of _dating_ either of them made him physically ill.

Haibara's cold demeanor was not something he wanted in a lover. While researching Love the previous night, he realized that affection was important to him. A little bit of teasing was to be expected, welcomed even, but if there wasn't plenty of warmth to balance it out, he feared he might end up feeling even more lonely. Haibara wasn't right for him.

He was a bit apprehensive about the idea of dating a guy, but, to his surprise, the thing he found most unappealing about Hattori was that he was a detective. Solving cases alongside another detective was fun occasionally, and he really did enjoy their games of who-can-solve-the-mystery-first, but if they were working together all the time, constantly trying to one-up each other could lead to animosity. Even if they _didn't_ work on the same cases, having a detective lover would still be a pain in the ass, constantly running into new cases, staying out way too late solving them, practically living at the police station, never having a reliable schedule. Man, why hadn't Ran given up on him sooner? He already felt sorry for whoever he did end up with.

Okay, no detectives, and no passive-aggressive, evil-eyed scientists either. Who did that leave him with?

He saw a flutter of white in his minds eye. A young man stood against a backdrop of starry night sky-

No.

No way in hell.

Conan sighed and got up to take his dishes to the sink. _Maybe I shouldn't even be thinking about love until after I deal with the Black Organization. It'll be easier to find someone once I'm myself again anyway, and I won't have to worry about protecting my identity since this will all be in the past. Yeah… it's probably for the best._

-  
At school, Conan tried to ignore all thoughts of relationships and romance, but his mind kept bombarding him with quotes from the articles he'd read, as well as little fantasies about how happy he could be with his soulmate! Every time he tried to brush it off and refocus on class his heart wilted.

 _I'm hardly alone._ He tried to reason with it. _I have plenty of friends._

 _It's not the same!!_ His heart cried. _I want a lover!!_

 _You're such a baby!!_ He retaliated. _There are tons of single people in the world and they're doing just fine!_

_They're not living under the threat of being hunted by a criminal organization!_

_That's not a reason to be so desperate for love!!_ He groaned internally.

_I just want to feel safe and cared for! Is that too much to ask?!_

He grimaced. Damn, that sounded pathetic, but… he _was_ in a situation that caused him a lot of stress and anxiety. Often all he wanted was someone he could trust enough to open up to about his fears. Someone he could be weak with.

His heart twisted violently, and raw emotion slithered up his throat. He grit his teeth and his ribcage shuddered as it became difficult to breathe.

_No, no, no!! This is the last thing I need right now!_

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Haibara watching him. Resolutely, he fixed his eyes on the whiteboard and took a slow, deep breath in. The surge of heartache eased away. It seemed his emotions were more willing to let him focus on class now that they'd successfully gotten through to him.

After school, he walked along with the rest of the detective boys, tuning out their conversation about the latest episode of Kamen Yaiba. His mind was still stuck firmly on the topic of love, but he only found himself thinking back over everything he'd _already_ thought about that morning. It felt like he was wearing down a rug in his head with all the mental pacing.

"What's got Mr. Detective so upset?" Haibara asked suddenly. "Is it a particularly difficult case?"

"No…" Conan sighed. "Ran kinda… broke up with me. Not that we were officially dating in the first place…"

"I see… Are you setting your sights on a new target then?"

"I thought about it, but… I'm just not interested in anyone I know."

"Why do you have to know them? There's nothing wrong with a celebrity crush, right?" She asked, turning her gaze upwards, undoubtably thinking about her own celebrity crush.

"But… there's no way I'd have a real chance with someone like that. What's the point of setting your sights on someone if it's never gonna go anywhere?"

"Your chances of making it with _anyone_ are slim like this," Haibara said. 'This' referring to their pint-sized predicaments. "But… being in love can keep you from winding up in a dark place, especially with circumstances like ours."

Conan glanced at his friend, then turned his eyes to the sidewalk. Several times in the past, during dangerous cases, when he got into situations where he was almost certain he was going to die, it was the thought of Ran that had given him the push he needed to save himself. Now, even though he still loved her, it wasn't the same.

A few times towards the beginning of his friendship with Haibara, she'd nearly gotten herself killed because she thought it would be best for everyone else. He didn't ever want to let himself fall into that mindset.

 _Alright, alright, I get it, love is a good thing. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm not interested in anyone!_ He thought, shoving his hands in his pockets. _It's not like I can force myself to fall in love._


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All chapters in this fic are relatively short but this one is… very short.

Conan sat at the kotatsu in the Mouri's living room with the tv playing in the background. He had several papers spread out in front of him, most of which were finished homework assignments he was pretending to work on. The paper he was _actually_ focused on was a loose, blank sheet on which he had written:

What I want in a partner:  
Upstanding morals  
Similar beliefs about justice  
Trustworthy and honest  
Good sense of humor  
Tact  
Out going (extroverted)  
Vibrant personality  
Affectionate  
Intelligent (but not a detective!)  
Knows how to read a room/person (empathetic)

One of the articles he'd read about love talked about the importance of 'opposites attract'. If two people in a relationship are too similar they risk getting bored or annoyed with each other. When he'd taken a moment to think about that concept in relation to his previously desired relationship with Ran, he realized it was yet another reason they wouldn't last. He and Ran were both relatively mellow, introverted people. They would likely end up struggling to maintain a level of excitement and adventure in their daily lives. (Spontaneous murder mysteries don't count).

In order to cultivate a relationship that was the right balance of grounded/stable, and interesting/fun, he needed someone that had the same core beliefs as him, but a very different personality.

Reading back over the list, he found that he kept getting stuck on 'vibrant personality'. It was definitely something he wanted in a lover, but what did it _mean_ exactly? Thinking of a vibrant person conjured up an image of someone flinging their arms out to either side with a big smile. A person who lived to bring joy to others, and thrived being the center of attention. Someone like… a performer. Oh man, he really was like his dad, wasn't he?

New words began coming to mind. Exuberant. Spontaneous. Playful. Almost childlike. _Yes, yes! That's exactly the kind of person I want to be with!_ He smiled and added the words to the list. His heart beat rapidly in his chest and filled him with a warm, comfortable flurry of hope. Whoever that perfect person was, he was already so excited to fall in love with them.

 _But I don't know anyone like this…_ The excitement fizzled out and left him feeling deflated. _There's no telling when I'll actually meet them…_

A couple weeks later, all thoughts of romance had pretty much taken a backseat in Conan's mind, and he was able to go about his life as normal. Well, y'know, as normal as it could be.

Overall, he was relieved to be able to focus again. There were plenty of cases that needed to be solved.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters 4 & 5 are a compilation of scenes from episode 538, ova 10, movie 14, and episode 587.
> 
> I only rewrote the scenes that are important to this fic, so as you can imagine there’s not a lot of context. Also, scenes start and end abruptly. Hopefully it’s not too confusing.

Episode 538  
(Second half of The Strongest Vault)

"You must like it, disguising as a woman," Conan said, stepping into the iron tanuki room with Kid.

"Yeah," the thief smirked, "it's just so much cuter this way. So, when did you figure it out?"

Conan smiled as he began the deduction. These moments with Kaitou Kid were extremely rare. Talking to the thief so casually, without waiting for an opening to catch him. It was strangely comfortable, knowing neither of them had their guard up. If he remembered correctly, the only other time they'd been this relaxed together was when Kid had discovered his identity and shown up at the detective agency disguised as him.

"That… looks complicated," he murmured, watching Kid meticulously draw lines on a strange chart. "Need my help?"

"On that door back there… there are a number of indentations as if something had hit it, right?" Kid said, glancing over his shoulder at the door opposite the safe. Conan looked back also and nodded. "That probably means, if this dial isn't turned just right…."

There was a sudden click. The lid of the dial flipped open. Conan just barely managed to hit the floor before a white arrow whizzed through the spot he'd been standing and imbedded itself in the door.

"That will happen…," Kid finished. "Best to leave it to a pro."

Conan got up and walked closer. Despite Kid's words, his well-trained eyes couldn't help but scan the room for anything of interest.

"Hey… this tile over here…. Isn't it oddly new?" He said, standing over one tile that gleamed in comparison to the others' dull finish. "Look, this one."

Kid leaned over to look at the irregularity, and accidentally twisted the dial his hand rested on. A long panel in the wall opened, and Conan found himself staring up at a sharp blade. Kid grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked him out of the way, just before the axe fell and crashed into the floor.

"As expected… a truly great safe by the master of traps, Kichiemon," Kid breathed in shock. The largest dial opened up, revealing a little figurine with a fan behind it which read 'you lose'. "This guy's really too much…."

-  
With Lupin freed, the three of them walked out onto a balcony over looking the nighttime cityscape. Police sirens wailed in the distance. 

"Looks like they've already discovered that old guy was the real deal and are on their way back." Kid looked out over the sea of lights in the direction of the sirens.

"You took a big risk coming here, you know. This all could have been a trap," Conan said, looking up at the thief. Their brief time together had drawn to a close already.

"Yeah, I considered that, but after visiting in secret and seeing the reason, I decided to help. After all, I'm a big fan of the real 'gentleman thief'." Kid smiled. "To see Lupin completely shut away in that dark cage… I couldn't just stand by, could I?" He jumped gracefully off the balustrade, activated his hang glider, and flew away without another word.

Conan watched silently as the white shape got smaller and smaller in the dark of the night. Lupin sat down next to him and whined. "Do you miss him already?" Conan teased. He smiled and gently patted Lupin's head. "Well… as fun as this was, I'll be sure to catch him next time."

Ova 10  
(Kid in Trap Island)

"The reason President Nezu refused the aid of the police helicopters was to purposefully help you get away, right?" Conan said, climbing up onto the smaller of two rock pillars at the far edge of the island.

"Yeah… Even if I did return the fake gem to the police later on, he'd say it was Kid who made the switch, and he'd hold to the claim that the real one was truly stolen." Kid care-freely tossed the gem up and down the way a person tosses a baseball.

"If you leave the Artemis's Teardrop right here, I'll make an exception and let you go. As a means of repaying the favor for saving the children."

"My, how kind of you," Kid smiled, "to tell you the truth, being stuck with those brats wiped me out. But I can somewhat understand it now, how you feel when you have to hang out with them. Well, then," Kid tossed the gem, "let us meet again, Detective."

Conan reached out and caught the Artemis's teardrop in his palm. When he looked back up at the tall rock pillar, Kaitou Kid was gone.

 _I know you're just right there behind the rocks_ , he thought with an annoyed frown. Part of him even considered calling out to him, but it's not like he had anything important to talk to the thief about, so he kept his mouth shut and sighed.

His eyes rested on the gemstone in his hand. _Why does Kid always hold these things up to the moonlight?_ He wondered. Handling the stone delicately, he held it between his fingers and lifted it up to the full moon. The moon's rays made the stone glitter with pale blues and pinks. Conan smiled ever so slightly. _Well, it certainly is pretty._


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3

Movie 14  
(The Lost Ship in the Sky)

Amidst everything going on with the Red Siamese Cats, Conan had completely forgotten about Kaitou Kid. So upon being tossed out of the blimp, his first thought as he fell through the open air was, _Damn it! I'm gonna have to attempt to use the inflatable soccer ball to break my fall on the water… There's no telling if it'll actually work…_

He tried to steady himself, and began timing his fall. Until he caught a glimpse of the waiter falling with him. _Did someone else get thrown out too?! No, wait! That's right! Thank goodness I don't have to rely on a soccer ball, there's no way it would work._

Conan had never been so relieved to feel someone grab his foot. Kid pulled him to his chest, and wrapped an arm around his middle. They fell directly into a low-hanging cloud. Conan heard the billowing of fabric and the faint clicks from the frame unfolding. The next second they were being pulled upward and eased into a horizontal glide through the crisp, salty air above the sea.

"Hard to believe they'd toss you out a window…," The thief mumbled. "What now, Great Detective? Are you giving up like this?"

"That's not even an option!! Return to the airship at once!!"

"Don't be ridiculous. My hang glider doesn't have an engine on it. Consider yourself lucky to still be alive!" Kid said, veering toward land.

Conan glared down at the rippling water beneath. He knew it was pointless to argue. _Looks like this will be one of the rare times Kid and I actually get to… hang out? We're not hanging out, we're stuck together… Well, whatever, it's always interesting getting to see more of this guy's personality._

-  
"Where are you right now?" Hattori asked through the phone.

"Mikawa Bay in Sakushima," Conan answered, leaning against a railing by the beach.

"What? You're still only there?"

"It can't be helped. I got thrown out." The tiniest little smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he watched Kid feed a goat out of the palm of his hand.

"Thrown out?"

Conan explained the situation, his eyes remaining glued to the thief the entire time. Kid laughed as the goat licked his face, and Conan's smile grew. _This guy's really fond of animals, huh…_

"Two people have already been infected," he told Hattori. Kid glanced back at him.

"Three people," he corrected. "That director, Mizukawa, had a rash on his right palm."

"Ah, so that's how it is." Then back to Hattori, "Well, I just called to let you know."

-  
"Hey, where on earth are we gonna find Kudou Shin'ichi? Given that you _are_ Kudou Shin'ichi," Kid asked with an irritated frown. They had relocated to a more private area of the beach and were sitting on a raised wooden platform, waiting for the helicopter to pick them up.

"I _told_ you already, I'm asking you to disguise as me," Conan replied.

"I have to disguise as you again…"

"Huh?"

"Ah, nothing! I can lend you a hand, but you can't interfere with my job," Kid said, giving Conan an annoyed side-eye.

"I can't make any promises, but… I'll see what I can do," Conan smiled.

They sat in silence for a while, listening to the wind blow through the trees and bushes behind them. Conan's mind drifted back to just a few minutes ago. An amused sigh, just barely a laugh, escaped his lips. Kid noticed and glanced down at him.

"You… really like animals, huh?" Conan said.

"Hm? Because of the goat?"

"The goat, and Lupin, and your doves."

"Hmm… yeah, I do like animals," Kid said with a shrug.

"Actually… I never did figure out that trick you did with the doves…," Conan murmured, mostly to himself.

A big smile spread across Kid's face. "Really?! I fooled the Great Detective?!" He leaned back on his palms, grinning, and his shoulders bounced as he laughed. "Kekekeke!"

Conan felt like he'd been shot through the heart. Suddenly it was hard to breathe, like his chest was being constricted. _No way… that laugh… is way too cute!!_ His eyes widened and he quickly turned away. _Cute?! Kaitou Kid?!! Cute?!!!_ His mind replayed the image of Kid's adorable smile, and his heart thumped hard against his ribs. _This is terrible!!_

"Hm? Hey, are you alright?" Kid asked. Conan heard the wooden platform creak as he leaned closer.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!" He said, waving his hand to dismiss Kid's concern. _Dammit! Why does his voice sound so angelic all of a sudden?! This can't be happening! I can't have feelings for Kid!!_ His mind immediately went to his checklist.

Upstanding morals? Well, he does help capture other criminals, and he does return everything he steals. Trustworthy and honest? Check. Good sense of humor? Check. Out going/extroverted? Most likely. Vibrant personality? Check. Affectionate? Probably. Intelligent (but not a detective)? Check. Tact? Knows how to read a room/person (empathetic)? Check and check. That just left: similar beliefs about justice, which Conan was fairly certain of.

_Shit! He's perfect!! This is bad. This is really, really bad!_

His heart pounded in his chest. A fluttery sensation filled his body and warmth spread across his face.

 _I can't have a crush on Kid!! That's impossible!! He might be nice, and funny, and one of the few people that treats me like an equal, but he's… well, a criminal! Even if he does return the gems every time… and it's not like he hurts anyone… and all the good things he's done, the lives he's saved, far outweigh temporarily stealing some rocks. I can't really be justifying his actions, can I?!! I can't believe this is happening!!_

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah… I'm… I'm fine," Conan mumbled, rubbing him temples.

His mind supplied him with snippets of his various interactions with the thief. He remembered Kid being upset about the murder at the gathering of magic fans, and Kid helping him keep his identity a secret, as a way of repaying him for taking care of his dove. Then there was that time Kid disguised as him for the heist at the theater, and made not one, but two awful puns. He had definitely been portraying him badly on purpose to tease him. So why was it so god damn cute!

Suddenly, Kid stood up. A cloud of smoke enveloped him, and when it cleared, Kudou Shin'ichi was standing on the platform beside Conan.

-  
Kid folded his arms behind his head and reclined against the airships vent while Conan knelt to open the hatch.

"By the way, about your girlfriend-."

"She's not my girlfriend. Ran and I aren't like that anymore," Conan said, keeping his head down as he felt his face warm up.

"Hm? Did she break up with you?" Kid teased.

"It was… mutual."

"I see… anyway, you'd better keep an eye on her. That Fujioka guy grabbed both her arms earlier. She pushed him away quickly though, and since it wasn't via coughing or sneezing, I don't think she's infected. Just thought I'd let you know," Kid shrugged.

Conan climbed down into the airship. At the bottom of the ladder, he slumped against the wall and sat down on the metal landing.

Too many things had happened in such a short amount of time. Half an hour ago Conan had still been blissfully unaware of his budding feelings towards Kaitou Kid, but that damn adorable laugh had to just go and ruin it. That laugh… followed by another, brief hang glider ride, followed by… trying to find that switch.

Conan's face burned. _I can't be thinking about unimportant stuff while everyone's in danger!!_ He pushed himself up off the floor and got right to work finding and disarming the bombs.

-  
"Hey… Shin'ichi…" Ran said softly.

Kid tensed up and lowered his hand holding the gem. _Damn… I forgot all about that…_ "Yo, Ran. It's been a pretty exciting day, huh?" He said.

"Shin'ichi!" She said again, stepping closer. "I don't know what reason you could possibly have for doing this, but… you need to turn yourself in. After all, a thief is a thief, right? And that's bad."

Damn it… normally I'd flirt in a situation like this, but Tantei-kun said they're not like that anymore… Well… I guess it's worth a shot anyway…

"Alright, I understand," he said softly, turning around to face her.

"Really?" She asked.

"I'll turn myself in to the police, if you give me the treasure I long for the most," he said, gently taking her hand in his own.

Ran blinked in surprise. Then her expression immediately became unamused.

"You're not really Shin'ichi, are you?"

"You got me," Kid said with a laugh, holding his hands up and taking a step back. "I'm surprised you figured it out so fast."

"Shin'ichi would never say something like that," She said, eyes narrowed in an annoyed glare, "and he wouldn't steal either- Gah! I can't believe you managed to trick me!!"

"Sorry…" He said, laughing uncomfortably. Then he recomposed himself and tossed her the ring. "I'll entrust this to you. Please return it for me."

Ran opened her mouth to yell at him, when the elevator doors suddenly opened. While Ran was distracted by the appearance of Conan and Sonoko, Kid made his getaway with the grappling hook.

Episode 587  
(Last part of Kirin's Horn)

Kid climbed out of the hole in the old, wooden floor, extremely pleased with his success. He swiftly removed the Genta disguise, then dashed over to lean against the wall by the door where he wouldn't be seen. Tantei-kun ran straight past him, back in to the temple.

Kid grinned and held a gloved finger to his lips. "Shhh~."

The detective whirled around, wide eyed.

"I'll return this to you," Kid whispered, kneeling to set Kirin's horn on the wooden floor. "It's not the jewel I'm searching for anyway."

"Huh? When did you-." Conan reached behind his head, feeling his hood for the pocket where the horn should have been, then abruptly changed gears. "Genta- where is he??"

"Hm?" Kid hummed, focusing on his reflection in the handheld mirror as he painstakingly copied Inspector Nakamori's stamp onto his cheek. "Sleeping under that hole. Soundly." He assured him.

"I see." Relieved, Tantei-kun turned his full attention back to Kid. "So, you only wanted to prove that you could even disguise as a child." His lips curved into a smile that should've been threatening but came off as… friendly? Even his voice sounded soft around the edges.

"Bingo~," Kid replied in a sing-song tone of voice. "For Kaitou Kid…." He swept his cape upwards and released a small smoke bomb, which cleared to reveal a squad member disguise. "Nothing is impossible!" Then he stepped out the door of the temple, pausing to give his rival a brief wave and a casual, "Later!"

"Wait a moment. You forgot something," Conan said.

"Huh?" Kid glanced back over his shoulder, and was immediately struck between the shoulder blades by one of Tantei-kun's inflatable soccer balls. The force sent him stumbling forward and sprawling ungracefully on the ground.

"That squad member is Kid!!" Conan shouted.

Everyone around the temple looked up. Kid took off running, and Inspector Nakamori ordered his men to pursue him.

 _How strange…_ Kid thought as he ran. _That guy didn't use those special shoes of his. But why not?? The force of his normal kick isn't nearly enough to stop someone, so I can only assume… he wanted me to get away._

Kaito furrowed his brow. Leaves and twigs crunched underfoot as he weaved through the dark forest waiting for an opportunity to blend in with the police.

_It just doesn't make any sense…_

-  
Conan watched the dark, shadowy shapes of trees pass by as the bus carried the Detective Boys and the tv crew out of the forest, back to the city. The heist was over, and once again, he had no clue when he would see his crush next.

Even so, a small part of him couldn’t help but feel elated, because this time he had a physical reminder, a _gift_ if you will. Okay, calling an accessory to crime a gift was definitely a stretch, but Kid had _technically_ given it to him (and the rest of the Detective Boys).

He gripped the fabric of the green and white, Detective Boys parka, pulling it tighter around himself.

 _Hard to believe Kid really faked a whole clothing company just to make us parkas for this heists. I wonder if he made the alterations himself or had his assistant do it. Well, either way…_ Conan smiled fondly and lowered his head, lifting the fabric of the parka to his face.

"It won’t smell like him, you know."

Conan flinched, clutching the parka ever tighter. Haibara smirked. She was sitting right beside him, but he’d assumed she was asleep like the rest of the Detective Boys.

"Wha- what are you talking about?" He asked, hoping she couldn’t see his red face in the dark.

"Kid-san." She said bluntly. "You were thinking about how Kid-san gave us these parkas, weren’t you?"

"I wasn’t."

"Liar. I know you like him."

"Why would I like Kaitou Kid?" He scoffed.

"I don’t know. But I do know that you’ve been avidly following all news about him, and I noticed you didn’t use the additional power from your shoes when you kicked that soccer ball at him."

Conan opened his mouth to retaliate but Haibara continued.

"I saw the way you lit up when those reporters informed us we’d been invited to this heist. _And_ , I noticed you changed your phone password to 1412."

Conan sputtered for a second, fumbling to think of excuses. Then sighed and slouched in the bus seat.

"I’m not going to tell anyone," Haibara assured him, "But I was really surprised to learn that guy is your type."

A fond smile graced his lips, and he turned his gaze back out the window.

"I was surprised too."


	6. Chapter 6

Kaito sat at his computer desk, chin resting on his palm, vacant gaze fixed on the image of his mom on the computer screen. Chikage clasped her hands together and sighed happily, finally finished rambling on about everything that had happened since their last chat.

"So! What about you and Aoko-chan?" She asked.

Kaito gave her a blank stare. "What about us?"

"Well?? When are you planning to tell her you're-," Chikage lowered her voice despite being alone in her hotel room, "Kaitou Kid."

"Um, never?? Why would I tell her that??" Kaito asked, thinking his mom had officially lost her mind.

"You like her don't you? If you want to have a life-long relationship with her, you're going to have to tell her everything."

"Why??"

"Because honesty is extremely important in a relationship!!" Chikage exclaimed. "One of the biggest reasons my relationship with Toichi went so well was because we knew _everything_ about each other and loved each other anyway. And _because_ of that, we felt safe. We trusted each other more than anyone else, which only made us love each other even more!"

"Your circumstances were different. You _met_ him as a thief," Kaito reminded her.

"Yes," His mom hummed, a warm smile forming on her lips. "Without knowing anything about me, he decided to put himself at risk to protect me. Finding a person who will do that for you is like… well, finding a mythical gem." She smiled at her analogy. Kaito did not.

He was giving her an annoyed frown through the computer screen. She knew he didn't like being lectured, especially not when she brought Toichi into things. So she paused, and sighed. "Just think of it this way. Do you really want to live the rest of your life keeping up a facade in your own home?"

Kaito's expression softened and his eyes shifted to the side. It was enough to let her know she'd made an impact.

They ended their chat for the night.

-  
Kaito glared up through the darkness at his bedroom ceiling. His eyes burned with exhaustion, but his emotions just wouldn't let him sleep.

 _Do you really want to spend the rest of your life keeping up a facade in your own home?_ His mother's words echoed in his head.

No, of course not, but he'd never even dared to imagine that he could share this side of his life with someone.

Every time he thought of his future, he thought of hiding and lying, just like he did every single day, keeping bits and pieces of his life expertly tucked away, always having an excuse ready. Sometimes it left him so drained that he seriously considered skipping school just so he wouldn't have to deal with people asking where he'd been, or how he got injured this time.

 _I can't pretend forever._ It seemed so obvious once he took a moment to think of the big picture. He wanted- _needed_ \- someone who would look at him, knowing full well that he was Kaitou Kid, and love him anyway. Someone who would understand why it was so important to him.

Could Aoko be that person? His heart constricted. Aoko? The girl who graffitied his face in every news paper she got her hands on? The girl who would eagerly tape his picture to a dart board if she had one? No.

In fact, when he thought about it… it was more than just Kaitou Kid he was unwilling to tell her about. There were lots of little secrets he'd accumulated over the course of his life that he didn't want to tell anyone, but especially Aoko.

Kaito flopped over onto his stomach and groaned into his pillow.

The darkness of his bedroom felt like an all-consuming void. One he was trapped in the center of, all by himself, with no escape.

No. It wasn't his bedroom that felt that way. It was his life.

He sighed.

 _Come to think of it… Tantei-kun recently fell out of love with Mouri-chan. I wonder if he felt this miserable. Well, he seemed fine. Maybe he already found someone else._

Kaito pushed himself over onto his back again, and lay with his arms sprawled out to either side.

He used to think his parents love story was kind of… cheesy, but after putting it in perspective…

 _Mom must have been extremely lucky to find someone who would go so far as to actually steal for her._


	7. Chapter 7

704  
(End of the Jet-Black Mystery Train case)

"You're really Kaitou Kid and his accomplice, right?" Conan asked, confronting Komino-san and her maid in the empty train car.

"Huh? Is this a joke?" The maid asked.

"The maid, Sumitomo-San, is Kid, and the old lady is the accomplice, who doesn't seem to be able to mimic Komino-san's voice. Kid was using ventriloquism to make up for that, and she was lip-synching, while trying to mask it with the veil of her hat."

"I see," Kid spoke in his regular voice, "That's why you made me run down the corridor." Conan nodded.

"Yeah. I figured the old lady wouldn't be able to speak on her own. And, all the passengers rescued from that fire are pyrophobic, yet she happily lit up her pipe. Anyway, be grateful I didn't press you guys when you were trying to avoid getting involved in the case by saying you didn't see anything."

"Well? What kind of favor are you trying to buy?" Kid asked. Conan pulled his phone out of his pocket and held up a shot of the video the kids had taken of Miyano Shiho.

"Disguise yourself as this woman, and shake off the bad guys going after her."

"Hm?" Kid leaned down to look at the picture.

"Your conversation with them will be provided through an earphone, directly from her." Conan continued, handing over the earpiece, along with his other phone so they could communicate afterwards.

"Does this… have something to do with the 'fire'?" Kid asked, looking back at the room with smoke still pouring out of it, slowly filling the hallway.

"Yes," Conan sighed. "I'm sorry to get you involved, but… I really need your help."

"I see. Alright then." Kid stood up straight and began walking towards his room to change disguises.

"Do you have your gear? Your hang glider?" Conan called after him.

"Of course," Kid called back over his shoulder. "Who do you think I am?"

Conan turned his attention to Kid's accomplice, who was looking more than a little uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry to separate you two. I know you can't mimic voices on your own, so if you'd like, you can use this." He pulled a voice-changing choker out of his pocket and held it out to them.

The accomplice eyed it warily for a second, then glanced back at where Kid had disappeared to, and decided to take the offer. They hastily put it on and tucked it underneath the collar of their shirt, then spoke in the old woman's voice.

"I hope you didn't send the Young Master into a dangerous situation."

"Don't worry. I'm certain he'll be fine."

Conan and Kid's accomplice both began making their way toward the front of the train.

"Can I… ask you a question?"

"I'm sure you know I won't give you any information about the Young Master," The accomplice said, pushing their wheelchair down the hall of car seven.

"I know. It's not that. I was just wondering… what's it like to work for him?" Conan asked. The accomplice glanced down at him, then hummed.

"It's exciting."

-  
Conan clutched his phone in his hands. _Kid should be calling any minute now…_ He knew Kid was extremely smart, and he really did believe that he could handle the situation, but this was the Black Organization they were dealing with. The thought of sending someone he loved into the metaphorical lion's den, made his stomach roil with anxiety.

Just as Conan was stepping off the train with the rest of the passengers, his cellphone rang.

"Kid?!" He exclaimed, then he immediately hushed, lest someone hear. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine."

A wave of relief hit Conan like a tsunami, so intense he almost fell to his knees right in the middle of the crowd. "Thank goodness…" he breathed. 

"Were you worried about me, Great Detective~?" Kid teased.

"Of course, I-!" He paused and bit back his emotion, "I'd be worried about putting anyone in danger…" Then his voice softened. "Thanks for helping me, by the way."

"No problem…."

"You can drop that phone off at the detective agency tomorrow, okay? See ya-."

"Wait, Great Detective… Are _you_ okay?" Kid asked.

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

"That woman you had me disguise as was that friend of yours, right? Those people, are they… the ones that did that to you?"

Conan's heart fluttered at the tiniest hint of concern in Kid's voice. "Yeah…" he answered.

"And…? Are you okay?"

"I'm… I'm okay. Thanks."

"Alright… Be careful, Great Detective."

"You too."

Their conversation ended, and Kid's words replayed over and over in Conan's mind. He swallowed thickly and clutched his phone to his chest.

_Bastard… don't get my hopes up._


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being really long.

The hardest part of planning for heists was taking every single little thing that could go wrong into consideration. And of all the things that could go wrong, illnesses were the most difficult to plan for.

Once Kaito sent a notice, the heist was as good as set in stone. It was a point of pride for him, that he'd never had to cancel, (except, as part of the show, of course).

So, when he woke up the morning of a heist, with a cold, he immediately decided to just bear through it. It wasn't that bad anyway. Medicine would help. He'd be fine.

Lucky for him, it was just one of his standard, weekly heists with only the police as an audience. All he had to do was get in to the home of the rich person who owned the jewel, deal with whatever trap they had set up this time, steal the jewel, and get out. No grandiose appearance or trick necessary.

On that particular day, luck must have really been on his side, because Inspector Nakamori had invited him to check the trap for any potential ways a magician could get around it.

Kaito had checked traps for the police a few times before, and those heists always proved to be a breeze, so he was extremely confident he could pull this one off, even with a cold.

-  
Jii-chan drove him to the mansion an hour before the heist was scheduled. There, the owner's personal assistant escorted him to the display room, where the police were already waiting.

"Ah! Kaito-kun!" The Inspector greeted him when he entered. He waved Kaito over and motioned towards a large, steel box on top of a display table with guards stationed on either side. "This case is our latest measure for capturing Kaitou Kid. All six sides are solid steel, five centimeters thick, welded together with no lid to open, or locks to pick. The only access point is this." He gestured to a circle that had been cut out of the front panel of the steel box.

Kaito knelt down to look through. Resting on a silk pillow, was an ornate, gold ring with a large ruby.

"Wouldn't it be… _too_ easy for Kid to just reach inside and grab it?" Kaito asked, suppressing a cough. It was ridiculously hot inside the mansion, and it didn't help that he was wearing layers of costumes under his sweatshirt. 

Inspector Nakamori nodded proudly. "Reach inside," he said.

Kaito did as instructed.

Two metal doors hidden inside the case, with half circles cut out of each of them, slid shut around his wrist.

"What do you think?" The Inspector asked.

"It'll definitely trap him if he uses his hand," Kaito said, twisting and pulling his arm, struggling to get even the base of his palm through, "but what if he uses a claw grabber or something?"

The inspector's expression became even prouder. "There's a second set of doors in there with _out_ the hole in the middle. The heat sensors inside the box determine which doors close."

"Ah… I see…" Kaito swallowed thickly. The stifling heat under his layers of clothes grew more intense. "Well, it seems like a really thorough trap! Unless that guy can detach his hand, I don't see anyway he'd be able to get away with the jewel."

"Detach his hand, you say?" A voice that grated on Kaito's ears entered the room. "Thanks for the clue."

"Hakubastard," Kaito scowled over his shoulder as the British detective walked over to them. "What are you doing here?"

"Since there happened to be a Kid heist on my first day back in Japan in three months, I simply had to come. However, I was happy to hear that Kaitou Kid hasn't had things _too_ easy in my absence. That Kid Killer has been involved in a lot of recent heists, so I decided to try working with him on this one."

Kaito blinked. _With?_

"Amazing! Inspector Nakamori, is this the trap you have planned for Kid?"

Kaito nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Tantei-kun's voice beside him. The small detective was standing on his opposite side, looking at the hole where Kaito was still trapped.

"Correct," The Inspector said, pulling a small remote out of his pocket. He pressed a button, and the metal doors slid open. Kaito gave a small sigh of relief, rubbing the soreness out of his wrist.

"Kuroba-kun, have you met Edogawa-kun before?" Hakuba asked, not even trying to hide his insinuation. Kaito shot the British detective a glare.

"The Kid Killer, right?" He said, kneeling down in front of Conan. "I'm Kuroba Kaito, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you!" The detective replied in his overly-cute, childish persona. Then his sharp, blue eyes narrowed, and his eyebrows curved upwards. "Kaito-niichan… are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just hot in this sweatshirt." Kaito stood up, and his vision immediately went out of focus. He staggered backwards, head spinning. Then tried to steady himself, and crumpled back onto his knees. One moment it felt as if all the blood had drained from his head, and the next there was an intense, pulsing pressure that made his ears ring.

Several people were saying his name. He felt an adult hand on his shoulder, and a small one on his arm. Their voices sounded far away, like they were on the other side of a wall.

Suddenly his back was on the floor and the glaring ceiling lights made him squeeze his eyes shut.

"Kaito-kun! Are you alright?" Inspector Nakamori asked.

"My head…," Kaito groaned, draping his arm over his face.

"Is there a spare bedroom nearby?" Hakuba asked.

"Down the hall," someone answered.

Hakuba and Inspector Nakamori pushed Kaito up, lifted his arms over their shoulders and helped him to his feet.

-  
Conan followed behind them to the spare bedroom. Concern gnawed at him.

Kuroba was definitely Kid. Conan had recognized him as soon as he knelt down to introduce himself.

Hakuba and Inspector Nakamori helped Kaito onto the bed.

"I wonder if I should call a doctor…," the Inspector mused.

"I don't think so," Hakuba replied, "it appears to just be a fever."

"Alright… Will you keep an eye on him? At least until it's time for the heist?"

"Of course."

Inspector Nakamori thanked Hakuba, then went back to the display room to finish the last-minute preparations.

Conan stood beside the bed to take a look at Kuroba. The magician had either passed out or fallen asleep. Either way, he was unconscious, but his face was still flushed, and a thin layer of sweat shone on his skin.

"Looks like there won't be a heist today after all," Hakuba murmured.

A cancelled heist on the same day one of the top suspects suddenly fell ill? Kuroba would definitely be looked into.

_No. I can't let him go to jail. I won't let anything happen to him! This heist has to go on. But Kuroba's obviously too sick to do it…_

-  
Half an hour later, the heist was about to start, and Conan had made up his mind.

"I'll stay with Kuroba-kun," Hakuba said, keeping his steady gaze on the bed. "You go observe the heists. That is, if anything happens…"

Conan nodded, and was just about to run back to the display room, when Kuroba woke up with a coughing fit.

"What- time is it?" He asked between his coughs, pushing himself up on shaking arms.

"Five minutes till the heist," Hakuba replied.

Horror flickered through the magician's eyes.

"I need to go to the bathroom," He murmured, moving his legs over the edge of the bed.

"You're not leaving this room until the next five minutes are up," Hakuba said, moving to intervene.

Conan flipped up the face of his watch and aimed with well-practice precision. _Chk!_

Kuroba tensed. Then his whole body went slack and he fell backwards onto the bed, unconscious.

"Huh? Did he pass out again…?" Hakuba murmured to himself.

With Kuroba unable to get himself in trouble, Conan ran out of the bedroom and made it to the display room with three minutes left to spare before the heist.

"Is Kaito-kun still out?" Inspector Nakamori asked.

"Yeah," Conan nodded, standing beside him in the middle of the room, directly in front of the case. Both of them fixed their gaze on the steel box, with completely opposite intentions.

Three minutes was juuuuust long enough for Conan to string together some semblance of a plan. At ten seconds the Inspector began counting down. The entire room held its breath. Waiting…

"3… 2… 1… 0."

A single second hung frozen, like a snapshot in time. Then the room was plunged into darkness.

Conan darted forward on light feet. Small fingers brushed against cold metal, feeling for the hole. There. He plunged his arm inside. The doors slammed shut around his elbow.

"Get those lights back on!!" Inspector Nakamori shouted.

Conan's closed fist slid back out through the hole with ease. Then he dashed back to his spot, shoving his hand into his coat pocket. Just like that, it was over in under twenty seconds.

Not long after, the lights came back on. Everyone in the room gasped at the sight of the closed trap with no arm stuck inside.

"The ruby!" Inspector Nakamori shouted. Conan ran up to the case, placed his hands on the metal and stood on his toes to peer through the small hole.

"It's gone!" He announced.

"Damn it!!" The Inspector began ordering his men to search the entire mansion for Kid.

 _I can't believe I did that!!_ The morally righteous part of his brain wailed. _It was important! Now focus! Normally at this point Kid would escape by hang glider. Except today, since he's here as himself, his plan was most likely to release a dummy._

Conan dashed out of the room and ran the whole way up to the mansion's highest balcony. He stepped out into the cold air and immediately spotted the dummy, already sailing away through the night sky with all the helicopters following it.

 _Thank goodness_ , Conan sighed, _either he's got every single step of this stuff automated, or that accomplice is extremely reliable, maybe both._

-  
Scared doesn't even begin to describe what Kaito felt when he woke up. He was absolutely petrified. The heist time had passed. He'd missed it. For the first time ever, Kaitou Kid had failed to follow through, and on a day that he, Kuroba Kaito, just happened to be sick. Even if it _wasn't_ enough to convict him, it would certainly get a lot more people looking in his direction. And if that happened it would only be a matter of time…

The sound of a dart being fired, the sharp prick in the side of his neck, and the glimpse he'd gotten of the detective, still aiming the watch, as his vision went out of focus, replayed in his mind.

Why would Tantei-kun do that to him?? After he purposefully knelt down to allow the detective to get a good look at his face! He had knowingly given his identity to him as a sign of trust!!

 _What if he told the police that he recognized me… What if they're waiting outside the door right now to arrest me…?_ Betrayal swirled in the pit of his stomach, murky and cold.

"Your accomplice must be even better than you are," Hakuba said suddenly. Kaito's thoughts halted abruptly.

"What?" He rasped, trying to push himself up. His chest shuddered with another coughing fit.

"Your accomplice. They stole the ruby. I haven't seen it myself yet, but the police are running around looking for you," The British detective said. Without another word, he walked out of the room, almost tripping over Tantei-kun.

The small detective paused by the door, waiting until Hakuba was far enough away. Then he closed the door, ran over, and climbed up onto the bed.

"I don't understand… What happened?" Kaito asked, scooting over to make room for Conan beside him. The detective removed his glasses to rub his hand over his face, sighing heavily.

"What happened is that I just did the stupidest thing I've ever done in my whole life," he said, reaching into his pocket. Then he held his hand out. "Here."

Kaito's eyes widened. His heart thumped against his ribcage. All thoughts of betrayal completely forgotten. He tentatively reached out to cup Conan's hand in his, gazing in awe at the ornate, ruby ring resting in the child-sized palm.

"Tantei-kun… did _you_ …"

"Yeah… I did." Conan looked up at him, blue eyes soft and caring, voice delicate and warm.

Realization broke through Kaito's mind. His heart thumped against his ribs, and warmth spread through his chest. He drew in a slow, trembling breath, blinking the beginnings of tears out of his eyes.

"Great Detective… Thank you!!" Kaito flung his arms around Conan, clutching him to his chest as if he feared he would vanish.

-  
Conan went completely rigid. His entire body was pressed against Kaito's warm chest. The magician's embrace was strong, unyielding, almost crushing. In other words: it was exactly what Conan wanted.

He knew it was just an expression of gratitude, that any second Kuroba would let go and he'd be left starving for more. Except, that moment didn't come.

"Thank you," Kuroba whispered, squeezing tighter still.

The tension dissipated from Conan's body. An intense desire to stay in Kaito's arms forever filled every atom of his being. He grasped the fabric of Kuroba's sweatshirt in his hands, and cuddled closer, soaking in as much warmth as he could.

"I love you," he breathed.

The words slipped out of his mouth before he even realized he was saying them. And before he had time to react-

"I love you too."

"Huh? Really??" Conan gently broke the hug, his face burning hotter than when he'd first realized his feelings.

"Yes," Kuroba answered with a gentle smile. "How could I not? I still can't believe you _stole_ for me!"

"Yeah, well… don't expect it to happen again," Conan said, unable to fully mask his exhilarated smile.

-  
Back at the detective agency after a long night, Conan found a card with a phone number in his pocket, signed with only a heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was definitely the most difficult to write, but I hope it was okay!
> 
> Also, I included a very short little bonus chapter because the idea came to me and I thought it was pretty funny.
> 
> (Oh, and Happy Birthday Shin’ichi, lol)


	9. Bonus Chapter

928  
(Crimson School Trip (except not))

"KUDOU-KUN!!!" Haibara shouted. Shin'ichi held his phone away from his ear. "Where are you?!!"

"Kyoto, of course," he lied, completely monotone.

"LIAR!! I called Hattori-kun to ask how the plan went and he had no clue what I was talking about!! You _agreed_ to follow my instructions!!"

"I did," He replied, "I waited a full eight hours in between the time the antidote wore off last night before taking the second one, and no one- who doesn't already know- saw me."

"… Where the hell are you?"

"Ekoda," Shin'ichi sighed.

"I can't _believe_ you scammed me out of _two_ temporary antidotes just so you could go on a date with your boyfriend!!"

"You should believe it, considering who I'm dating." Shin'ichi felt Kaito smile against the back of his neck, his arms tightening around his waist.

"He's been a terrible influence on you…" Haibara groaned.

"I disagree."

"I'm never giving you another temporary antidote again," she muttered, then immediately hung up on him.

"Fine," Shin'ichi sighed, gently tossing his phone onto Kaito's living room floor.

His boyfriend kissed his neck. They were sitting on the floor in front of the tv, waiting for Kaito's neighbor/best friend to come over. She'd been extremely skeptical that Kaito had actually managed to find someone willing to date him, so obviously he had to prove her wrong.

The previous day they had thoroughly enjoyed being able to go out in public as a real couple. Whenever they usually went on dates they had to act like they were just a kid and a teenager hanging out, so they ended up spending most of their time together in the safety of Kaito's home. Conan enjoyed being with his lover either way, but there was just something so freeing about no having to hide it.


End file.
